AceShowbiz - Kanye West has defended his "slavery was a choice" comment, saying his sentiment was misunderstood.

In early May, while talking to TMZ Live, the "Famous" rapper ranted: "You hear about slavery for 400 years. For 400 years? That sounds like a choice. Like, that was there for 400 years and it's all of y'all?"

Both his fans and famous friends were shocked by the statement, and Kanye addressed wife Kim Kardashian's furious reaction on his new track "Wouldn't Leave".

He's now opened up about the incident in a wide-ranging chat with The New York Times, explaining that his comment was misunderstood.

"I said the idea of sitting in something for 400 years sounds - sounds - like a choice to me, I never said it's a choice. I never said slavery itself - like being shackled in chains - was a choice," he said. "That's why I went from slave to 400 years to mental prison to this and that. If you look at the clip you see the way my mind works."

Admitting that he felt "awesome" in the aftermath because he was able to learn from the experience, he also explained that he felt an affinity with Nat Turner, the slave who led a rebellion to free his countrymen from the shackles of slavery.

And asked if, given the chance, he would rephrase the comment, Kanye revealed he has no regrets.

"I feel stupid to have to say out loud that I know that being put on the boat was - but also I'm not backing down, bro," he stated. "What I will do is I'll take responsibility for the fact that I allowed my voice to be used back to back in ways that were not protective of it when my voice means too much."